I’m walkin’, yes indeed…

I will be participating in the 2003 CROP Walk in Lincolnton on October 19. Click here if you’d like to make an online donation.

The CROP (Communities Reaching Out to People) Walk is a 10-km walk to raise money to fight hunger and for disaster relief. 25% of the money raised goes directly to local communities. Only about 8% is lost to administrative overhead and 10% to fundraising expenses.

Glutton for punishment

Well, I’m doing it again! I’m throwing my hat into the ring for another bid for Lincoln County Commissioner. Note the addition of the Donate button on the left. All donations will be appreciated, but the law is I have to collect full contact information–including Occupation and Employer–for anyone who donates more than $100 in an election cycle, so please provide that information if you end up donating more than that amount. I may also stop accepting donations if I reach $3,000.

None of this is officially official until the filing next February, but I’m going to go ahead and start campaigning now, even though I have no idea who else will be running (apart from my friend and partner, Richard Hicks, who’s also making another go for it).

Walking the Walk

Well, we did the MS-Walk today. All total, participants from all over Lincoln County raised over $5,000 to help research treatments for Multiple Sclerosis! That’s certainly greater than the amount of tax money from the participants that would go to fighting this disease, and this money comes with no strings attached, unlike government funds.

It’s A Free Country (I Hope)

On April 21st, I will be presenting a resolution to oppose the USA PATRIOT Act to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners. I’ve also set up a page supporting the claims we make in the resolution. The Senate is going to introduce a bill this week to extend these measures. I really don’t understand how we could get to the point where our politicians care so little about the freedom they pay lip service to when they’re hyping a war.

These boots are made for walkin’…

I will be participating in the MS walk here in Lincoln County in April. This is a fundraising event for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which is dedicated to ending the suffering caused by this disease. I’m the team captain for the Lincoln County Libertarian Party, and I really hope we make a good showing.

This event will be at the Lincoln County Senior Center in Lincolnton, NC. If you’re in the area, I’d love to have you as a member of our team! Just click this link to sign up for the MS Walk and join us on Saturday, April 12, 2003 at 9:00 am! If you can’t join us but want topledge to my walk, you can do so by clicking here. Every dollar you donate will go to the NMSS to help combat the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis.

One question I’m getting asked is, "Why are you doing this? Do you know someone with MS?" No, I don’t. That answer puzzles some people, but I say a truly compassionate individual is one who’s willing to put his time and money into helping others. Most politicians, and the people who support them, are quite willing to take someone else’s money by force (in the form of taxation) in order to research diseases, feed the poor, or what have you. But where is the compassion in force? Where is the charity in spending someone else’s money? If you choose to participate, or to pledge, that’s wonderful; but I don’t have any right to pick your pocket even if I do donate the money to a good cause.